14. 1992 Eastern Conference Semis Game 7 Knicks vs. Bulls

Even though he could not deliver a ring, Patrick Ewing is unquestionably the greatest Knick of all time.  The main reason why Ewing doesn’t have a ring?

The Goddamned Bulls and Michael Jordan….

After the Knicks were swept in 91 (remember Jordan did this to Ewing?), everyone predicted the Bulls would steamroll the Knicks again.  After all, the Bulls had beaten the Knicks 14 straight times, and had beaten the Knicks at home 17 straight times.

But after the Knicks stole Game 1, the Bulls found out the Knicks were not going to be pushovers. Both teams went back and forth, trading wins in a series so physical, the league would eventually be forced to change the rules.

And then Game 7 arrived…

Jordan completely dominated the Knicks.   He decided, with some advice from his father, he would not let the Bulls lose, and took over the game scoring 42 points. This was the first game I’ve ever watch where one player decided the game. I had never seen someone take control of the game like that before. Didn’t any of the Knicks have fathers who advised him to stop Jordan?

  
 It was at that moment I realized the Knicks would never be able to beat the Bulls as long as Jordan was on the court, which is the reason why this game makes the list. There is nothing more frustrating as a fan than watching one guy completely ruin your season, year after year.  No matter how good the Knicks were, they simply were not good enough.  For much of the 90s, thanks to the Bulls, I had the same feelings Andy Roddick had after he lost to Roger Federer in the 2009 Wimbledon Final. Jordan is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of my sporting villains (along with Reggie Miller, Aaron Rogers, and that god awful Tyler Hansbrough).   

The Knicks were crushed 110-81 and just like that, the season was over. The good news: The Knicks used this loss as motivation to form, perhaps the greatest Knick team in NBA history.

The bad news: The Knicks lost to the Bulls again, including a game that will certainly be on this list...

Up Next: 13. Game 7 1952 NBA Finals vs Minneapolis Lakers

17. Game 7 1984 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Knicks vs. Celtics

 

Three straight Celtic games!

..I swear, the Celtics won’t keep appearing on this list.

 

1984 was a magical year for the Knicks; it was their best year since their championship year in ’73. Bernard King was a monster, averaging 26 pts on 57% shooting, finishing second in MVP voting.[1]

57%!!  Holy shit!  King was easily the best pure scorer  in Knick history.

Not only did he average 26 on 57% for the season, but he may have had the most dominant postseason in Knick history.  He turned it up a notch, scoring 35 points a night on 57% shooting. He averaged 43 points in the first round against the Pistons and leading his team to a series victory with 44 in the deciding game.

Too bad, there isn’t anything to show for his dominance. Just like Melo’s 42 against the Celtics in Game 2, this game was painful to watch. It’s always excruciating to see a great performance be wasted on a loss, ask LeBron James during his first stint with the Cavs.

The Knicks were massive underdogs in this series; the Celtics were the best team in the league, winning 62 games, and the Knicks were just a scrappy 45-win fifth seed, who needed every bounce to beat the Pistons in the previous round.

The Knicks never really had a chance in Game 7.  The home team had won every game of the series up to that point and the Celtics had won the previous home games in this series by an average of 18 points, while the Knicks squeaked out three close home victories.  Larry Bird had one of the greatest performances in a Game 7 in NBA history ,finishing the game with 39 pts, 12 rbs, and 10 assts.

Sure, the Knicks weren’t supposed to win, but the aftermath is the main reason why this game appears on this list.

Unfortunately, that’s as close as the King would ever get to a title. The next year, King blew out his knee, against the Kings and we never got to see the dominance of King in a Knick uniform again.

The good news is that the Knicks were “awarded” the first pick and selected Patrick Ewing, who became the greatest Knick of all time.

Too bad Ewing never won a ring and I have a sneaky suspicion you’ll see some of the reasons why later on this list….

 

Up Next: 16. Game 6 1969 NBA Eastern Division Finals Celtics vs. Knicks

 

---

[1] Larry Bird won the MVP and was amidst of one of the most dominant stretches in NBA History.

19. 2011 Game 1 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

19.  2011 Game 1 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

After what seemed like an eternity,[1] the Knicks were playing basketball in late April.  I finally got to witness a playoff game since the first time I was an eighth grader at A.B. Davis Middle School, fawning over some girl named Olivia.

Unfortunately, the Knicks first playoff game ended in heartbreaking fashion, a loss in Boston, to the hated Celtics[2].

  The Knicks actually came out strong to start the game, which led Knicks fans believe we actually had a chance to win this series. They even led by 12 at halftime! This was a team who had dominated the Knicks during the Dolan Era.  I still remember this game to this very day.  The Celtics fought back in the second half, but the Knicks were still able to take a slim five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter took years off my life, as both teams went back and forth trading the lead.  When Toney Douglas hit a three pointer[3] with about 35 seconds to go, to give the Knicks a three-point lead, I was ecstatic!  The Knicks were finally going to win a playoff game for the first time in TEN YEARS!!  But then, the Knicks inexplicably allowed the Celtics to convert an alley-oop off coming off of a timeout, which cut the lead to one. 

On the ensuing possession, the Knicks gave the ball to Melo.  Even though he was having a rough shooting night, (5-17 at that point), I thought to myself, “Of course, he was going to score and ice the game. This is why the Knicks gave up half of their team and future draft picks, just for moments like these. “

 But Paul Pierce flopped, and Melo was called for a bullshit offensive foul with 21 seconds remaining.  How many times has he flopped in his career? 10? 20? 10000??  Remember this?   What I thought and what they called were two different things," Anthony said after the game. Everyone with a semi-functional brain, knew that was a bad call, except for Doc Rivers. 

“Heck of a call to make," he said, "but it was the right call."

Of course, it was the right call Doc.  Had he been on the other end of that call, he’d be bitching about the refs like he did here, here, here and here.

On the next possession, Ray Allen hits a three, aided by the 400000^th million illegal screen set by Kevin Garnett, which put the Celtics up two with 11 seconds left. 

Out of timeouts, the Knicks raced up the court, Melo got the ball and shot desperation three that missed, and just like that, the Knicks lost the game.

How painful!  

This game ruined a great night from Amare who finished with 28 pts and 11 rebs. Even though the Knicks lost this game, they were confident they would still be able to win the series.

And then there was Game 2…….

Up Next: 18.  2011 Game 2 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

---

[1] Actually it was seven years, but it sure seemed like an eternity.

[2] At least Larry Bird did not walk out through that door..

[3] Billups sprained his knee with a minute left  to go, and would not play another game in a Knick uniform.

20. 2013 Game 6 ECSF vs. Indiana Pacers

Ahhhhhh, the game that gave me the idea to come up with this list in the first place. The Knicks were supposed to beat the Pacers to set up an anticipated Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Miami Heat.

But the Pacers had other plans…

After having their best season in over a decade, surprising everyone by winning 54 games, the Knicks’ season abruptly ended in Indiana. The Knicks had nearly come back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a game 7 , but Carmelo decided to channel his inner John Starks, scoring only 4 points in the 4^th. To be fair, it wasn’t his entire fault the Knicks lost that game, in fact he doesn’t even get 5% of the blame if you ask me.  He did finish the game with 39 points and besides of a few Shumpert threes, no other Knick showed up on the offensive end. The Knicks shot terribly throughout the series, including J.R. Smith who shot an abysmal 4-15 in game 6 and 29% for the entire series[1] and Raymond Felton, who somehow ended up finishing the game without making a field goal.

Of course, there is the block, which is the most memorable part of this game and spurred an 11-2 run, but the most painful part of this game is watching New York High School legend, Lance Stephenson score a playoff career high 25 points, including nine points during the run. The Knicks passed on him twice in the 2010 NBA Draft, drafting Landry Fields and Andy Rautins.[2] Now three years later, instead of having him on the team, the Knicks were forced to watch Lance Stephenson torture Knicks in the 4^th quarter like Reggie Miller used to do.

            The Knicks haven’t been to the playoffs since then. But do not worry; the free agent signings of Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams, and Kyle O'quinn will propel the Knicks back into the playoffs, right?[3]

In Derek Fisher we trust!


Up Next : #19.  2011 Game 1 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

---

[1] He was never the same after throwing an elbow to Jason Terry

[2]  What a surprise, another Knicks draft blunder

[3] I somehow forgot to include Aaron Affalo, what a misstep.

New York Knicks: The 20 Most Painful Postseason Losses in History

                     

After reading Dan Hanzus' NFL Pain Rankings, which you can check out here, (the Vikings are too low, by the way) I started to think about all of the Knick playoff disappointments after a good friend of mine, who is a die-hard Pacer fan, sent me this video. After weeks of re-watching old Knick playoff games, and reading tons of articles, I’ve complied a list of the 20 most devastating Knick playoff losses in their 69-year history.

Tune in each day for the next three weeks to see where your favorite, or should I say, least favorite game, ranks on my list.

Honorable Mentions:

1994 Eastern Conference First Round Game 3 Nets-Knicks

After easily winning the first two games at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks lost their 5^th straight game in New Jersey, an overtime thriller in New Jersey 93-92. The Knicks were lethargic all game, trailing by 10 after the first quarter and as much as 16 in the third. The Nets offense collapsed, going 12 minutes and 15 seconds (including the final 9:35 of regulation)[1], without a field goal and only scoring 9 points in the fourth quarter. Patrick Ewing made the game-saving play, blocking Kenny Anderson’s layup, with the score tied at 83, which sent the game into overtime.  

The lead seesawed in the final minute of overtime. John Starks, for once in his Knick career, hit a big shot, a three, which gave the Knicks a 90-89 lead with 1:04 left. The Nets answered; Armon Gilliam’s dunk gave the Nets a 91-90 lead with 43.5 seconds left. Ewing hit a turnaround jumper to give the Knicks a 92-91 lead with 20 seconds left. The Knicks just needed one more stop to sweep the Nets. But Charles Oakley fouled Chris Morris, who got away with a travel as he was penetrating to the basket. Morris hit both free throws, which gave the Nets a one-point lead.

On the last possession, with a chance to win the game, John Starks miraculously found himself wide open for a three pointer.

And of course, he missed it….. and had a stupid dejected look on his face. Did anyone with a brain, watching the game thought he would actually make that shot?

…Of course not

1993 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Game 3 vs. Hornets

The Knicks were supposed to breeze through the Charlotte Hornets to set up the inevitable rematch against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. But the Hornets had other plans. After winning the first two games in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks faced off against the young Charlotte Hornets in a double overtime thriller, Hornets fans still talk about to this day.

Up six with a little less than four minutes left in the game, the Knick had a chance to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead, but the Hornets were inexplicably able to score on five straight possessions on arguably the stingiest defense the league has ever seen. The Hornets had a chance to win the game but Larry Johnson bricked a fallaway jumper.

…A few years later, he became a Knick and became one of the most overrated Knicks of all time (because of this game), bricking fallaway jumpers on a regular basis.

Anyways, in the first overtime, the Knicks looked poised to take game 3; Ewing hit a couple of jumpers to give the Knicks the lead. As the Knicks were looking to go up four with about 40 seconds left, Ewing threw one of the laziest passes I’ve ever seen. Had that been anyone else, he might have gotten cursed out, but since he is the greatest player the franchise has ever seen, he deserves a pass. The Knicks were still up two, but Alonzo Mourning was fouled with 12 seconds left after grabbing his own rebound, and was able to hit both free throws. That’s clutch!

You know who is not clutch?

..John Levell Starks 

Not only did he shoot 7-20 from the field, and had almost as many turnovers as assists (Eight Assists, Seven Turnovers), but he allowed Muggsy Bogues to strip the ball from him, as the Knicks were attempting to win the game in the final seconds. How many times can one person fail, before he ultimately succeeds?

Seriously, if John Starks never wore a Knick uniform, I’d probably be a much happier person. Something tells me, his name will appear a few more times on this list, before it’s done.

In the second overtime, Bogues did his best Walt “Clyde” Frazier impression coming up with 393,223[2] steals, while hitting the game winner jumper to give the Hornets a 108-106 lead with 54 seconds left, and iced the game by hitting two clutch free throws with six seconds left.

The Knicks won the next two games, albeit in tough fashion to win the series 4-1, which set up a rematch with the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.

.. Yes that game will be on this list, stay tuned. You know what f***n game I’m talking about…

1994 ECSF Game 3 Bulls-Knicks

After winning the first two games, the Knicks headed to Chicago for a game three, which would be remembered for eternity.

This game is best known for Scottie Pippen refusing to get off the bench during the final seconds of the game because his number wasn’t called for the last shot.  This game negatively affected Pippen’s career, and is the main reason why he is one of the most belittled stars in NBA history.  But we’ll get to that later…

Even without the Pippen debacle this game was one of the wildest games in the Knicks/Bulls rivalry. There was this fight, in front of former NBA Commissioner David Stern and there was a Knick comeback for the ages.

Well almost…

 After blowing a 15-point lead in game one, and an eight-point lead in game two, the Bulls blew another huge lead.

The Knicks were down as much as 22 points late in the third quarter before making a historic comeback The Knicks outscored the Bulls 32-15. Ewing led the comeback, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter (he finished with 34) as Bulls coach, Phil Jackson, refused to double Ewing. It wouldn’t be the first time, his basketball philosophies would be questioned. In Phil we trust though, and I say that with the most optimistic Knick fan voice imaginable.

After Ewing tied the game at 102, with a beautiful seven-foot hook over Cartwright with about two seconds left, the Bulls called a timeout.  Jackson created the potential game winning play for Toni Kukoc instead of Pippen. Pippen had a terrible fourth quarter, only making one field goal and failing to even get a shot off, causing a 24 second violation late in the game. Kukoc also hit three game winners prior, so perhaps that factored into Jackson’s thinking.

With Pippen sitting on the bench, Kukoc hit a tough shot to win the game and the Bulls avoided a 0-3 series deficit.

Thank god (and Hue Hollins) the Knicks would eventually win the series in seven games.

Up Next on The Knicks Most Painful Playoff Losses: 

20. 2013 Game 6 ECSF vs. Indiana Pacers

---

[1] The Nets also missed 17 consecutive field goals attempts.

[2] Actually it was just three, but watching the game, it felt like it was that many.